Processed at Waste Management facility in Medley

It took less than two months for the City of Doral to conclude the process of debris removal and disposal after Hurricane Irma. It is a luck that other municipalities in the County have lacked.

The closeness of Doral to the Waste Management facility in Medley allowed for an agreement with that company for the disposal of debris at their landfill on a cost per ton basis. It was the closest, most economic FEMA approved landfill.

Disposing waste properly contributes to the protection of South Florida environment and sustainability. Waste Management operates the largest integrated solid waste disposal systems in the country, and continually works with communities to lower costs and create safer environments for businesses and residents.

Debris removal contractors were in charge of hauling everything to the Waste Management facility from Doral Central Park, where it had been collected and processed after the initial cleaning phases. The hauling process concluded on October 27 and allowed for the park to resume operation the same day, after Public Works and Parks and Recreation restored the used area.

The proactivity of the City of Doral as part of their emergency preparations allowed for it to have on standby, in case of need, the three most convenient and cost effective contractors that complied with FEMA requirements, since the procurement process that took place in 2013.

“Having three debris removal contracts in place helps make sure that the City has the resources to attend an emergency in the event one of the contractors cannot respond. Furthermore, having existing contracts in place helps ensure a prompt response to the emergency as the procurement process can be very time consuming. Lastly, since these contracts went through a procurement process, we were ensured of competitive prices” explained Maggie Santos, acting Communications Manager at the City of Doral.

“The City takes great pride in the number of compliments received on how quickly we were able to respond and how fast the roadways and parks were cleared of debris. The current debris removal contracts will expire in December of 2017. When these contracts are re-advertised, greater requirements and more restrictive conditions will be included to ensure an adequate and timely response, at the best price possible for the City” concluded Santos.